Unseen Scenarios
by Lemonred
Summary: A series of One-Shots covering different moments in the RWBY universe not seen in the show so far. In each chapter, you will find a short story that sheds more light on certain characters in new situations. This is based off work produced by Rooster Teeth Productions, and they own the characters depicted here.
1. Chapter 1 - Opening Doors (Jaune, Qrow)

In this One-Shot taking place in the later part of Volume 3 Chapter 12, the old Huntsman Qrow spends time comforting a broken Jaune. Both men have suffered similar losses, and it is through this shared pain that Qrow hopes to break through to him, in the hope that he can enlist the young warrior's help.

* * *

Jaune was planted on the couch, head in his hands, panting excessively and cursing himself under each breath, painful doubts in his mind circled back up again. The pain. The heartbreak. All these emotions formed a cacophony of sound that seemed impossible to ignore. The malicious whispers were only silenced by the sound of the door shutting, with the image of a man dressed in grey cutting through the wall of noise. Jaune looked up in alarm, but saw a familiar face in familiar clothing.

"It's Jaune, right?"

"Yeah. Jaune Arc."

The veteran Huntsman nodded and leaned against the door in a manner that seemed relaxed, but Jaune could feel a hint of unease in his every movement.

"Y'know, I came to thank you. During the battle, if you didn't find me and report the situation at the Tower, I wouldn't have been able to save my niece."

Jaune was puzzled by this revelation, but it suddenly all began to make sense. The old man. The grey shirt. The tattered cape. The roughed-up look. How could it have been anyone else?

"You're Qrow, aren't you? Ruby and Yang's uncle. You taught Ruby how to use a scythe."

The old man nodded in confirmation.

"How are they? I heard about what happened to them. Yang's arm, and... whatever Ruby did."

A frown formed over Qrow's face as he let out a loud sigh. "They'll both get through this. It's a lot to take, but they've got the willpower to get over it. They get it from their parents."

This news brought some relief to Jaune, yet it was insignificant compared to the pain he felt. He wished to be alone, to wallow in his pity. He brought his knees up to his chest, attempting to close himself off from the world. But once again, the Huntsman cut through.

"I was coming up the road here when I saw you and your teammates standing outside. You looked like you had to be coaxed out by them. Then you froze, and ran back inside like you'd just seen a ghost."

 _"Ghost"_. The word seemed to stagger Jaune. And it appeared that Qrow noticed, as Jaune saw him uncross his arms. Jaune didn't want to talk about it, or even contemplate it. However, he felt prompted to respond.

"In a way, I did see a ghost." He gulped, hoping to keep the rising tide of emotions from surfacing. "It was Ren's idea. He said we shouldn't just sit here in this temporary refuge. He wanted us to get some fresh air. He and Nora went out first, and they encouraged me to join them. I opened the door, took a step outside, and then I saw something that messed me up. A leaf. A small, red leaf. It'll sound dumb to you, but it made me want to hide away; to just shut myself off from everything." He shook his head. "You wouldn't understand." Jaune barely kept his voice in check as he said this. It felt like torture to talk about it. And strangely enough, it appeared that it had the same effect on Qrow. The Huntsman's face was drawn into a frown, his expression serious.

"I do, kid. More than you know."

A pause more uncomfortable than the entire conversation set in, as Jaune processed this startling revelation.

"Earlier, I told you that I came to thank you. But that's not the only reason. You've got two teammates standing outside. One's not here."

Jaune's heart dropped.

"I've heard things. Your teammates told me some more just now - what you told them. I know you lost the other girl. _Pyrrha Nikos._ She said goodbye to you, sent you off in rocket locker, then confronted an opponent she didn't stand a chance against, in the hope that she could delay her till someone stronger came along to finish her off. A brave move, but it left a hole in the team that can't be filled."

Qrow's piercing gaze fell upon Jaune, and the young man could finally see the shades of sadness and regret in his eyes, as clear as the grey in his hair.

"A brave warrior giving their life for the good fight; it sounds like something out of a fairytale, and yet it's so common among Huntsmen. A lot of teams have lost a member or two along the way. Unfortunately, my team suffered too. One teammate went solo, now only getting in touch when it suits her. Another one disappeared and was never seen again. She's been out in the wilderness too long to have survived all these years."

Jaune had noticed that Qrow's tone changed at the mention of the second teammate. Qrow had paused again, his eyes empty as his mind seemed to go on a distressing journey. After a moment that felt like ages, the old man shook himself out of this trip, emerging with a deepened frown and an even more sombre tone.

"Jaune. I... I know it's complicated between you and Pyrrha. Your friends told me how much she cared for you, and how shook up you've been since it happened. And I wanted to tell you that I've been in similar spots to where you are now. I've felt similar things: The pits in the stomach when you remember her name, or when you see something that reminds you of her; that inescapable feeling that you could've done more. That it was _your_ fault that they died." He let out a small, bitter snigger. "After the second girl, I couldn't leave the house for weeks. I couldn't even look at my weapon."

Qrow sighed loudly, shaking his head as he did so.

"Just before I shut myself off from the world, Ruby's dad and I went looking for her. We spent every waking minute scouring the wilderness, chasing hopeless leads that took us nowhere. When the truth finally set in – that she was gone forever – I broke down. All those weeks, I kept dreaming the impossible, hoping that I could somehow discover some _magical_ way of finding her and getting her back. I was stuck like this for far too long, and it left permanent marks."

The old man stopped. Qrow brought out a metal flask and fidgeted with it, before looking up to meet Jaune's gaze. Jaune could see a change in Qrow's expression. It was almost indescribable. Qrow's red eyes seemed to convey a sincerity that Jaune wouldn't normally associate with the weary Huntsman.

"It took a lot to drag me out of that. And take it from me: You don't want to put the people around you through that. So you need to snap out of this, for their sake as much as yours. You don't want to spend the rest of your life chasing ghosts, so you've gotta learn to accept that they're gone. Let her go, say goodbye."

Jaune had barely been able to suppress the pain, but there was no hope of it now. Several bitter tears began to well up in his eyes. He felt his heart beating fast inside his chest, compelling him to resist the temptation to give in.

"What if I can't?"

The old Huntsman looked perplexed, as Jaune wiped the tears away.

"What if I can't let her go? What if I'm not ready to say goodbye? Surely... There's a bunch of legends, stories. There's got to be something in them; some way of bringing her back. This can't be it, right?"

Qrow seemed to be taken aback by Jaune's words. After a moment, he returned his flask and shrugged.

"I don't what to tell you. You're right. There are a few tales talking about things like that; strange magic that could defy death. But that's all they are. Tales. Stories. Myths. I've seen a lot of this world, and I've never heard of any truth in them. Kid, like I said, you don't want to be chasing ghosts for the rest of your life."

Yet again, the old man's words punctured Jaune's heart, recalling some of the pain that had been silenced by the conversation. Qrow sighed once more, and a wry smile formed.

"But... Look at me. A cynical old man with greying hair and bad habits. I'm not exactly the type of person you'd be wise to take advice from. I've seen a lot of Remnant, but I haven't seen half of what this world has to offer. You never know, what you're looking for could be in some far-off place or even right in plain sight. At the end of the day, it's your choice whether you let go of this girl or you move forward, hoping that along the way you'll find something. The problem is you'll be holding on to that hope for a long time, and that will sting every day. Just consider your options."

Jaune nodded, his heart not as heavy as it was.

"Thanks, Qrow."

For a moment, it seemed like the man was incredibly touched by those words. He nodded back, and then turned towards the door. But just before he opened it, he looked over his shoulder.

"Oh and Ruby's going off an adventure. She's going to Mistral in search for clues about the woman behind all this. If you want to do some soul-searching, that isn't a bad start."

The old man winked before opening the door and making a swift exit, letting in a cold breeze. Jaune slumped back in his seat, reflecting on the conversation that just occurred. "Soul-searching". A sense of incredible determination rose within him as he contemplated this. He jumped up and paced towards the door. He opened it hastily and peered around to see his two teammates staring back at him, with expressions of worry and concern etched into their faces. Jaune opened his mouth to speak, but Nora interrupted him.

"We know about Ruby and Mistral. Qrow told us before he went in to talk to you."

"Yeah, it's going to be a tough trip."

The normally cheerful girl slanted her head inquisitively. Ren frowned before speaking up.

"Jaune, we don't have to go if you don't want to."

"No, I think we do," Jaune responded. "We have to find answers... for Pyrrha."

The two teammates smiled.

"For Pyrrha."

Just before they headed off to Ruby's place, Jaune looked down at the red leaf. The snow had been falling since dawn, partially covering the leaf with a layer of white. But despite this, Jaune couldn't ignore it. It still reminded him of her, bringing back a surge of raw emotions and the petrifying fear of saying goodbye. He memorised the leaf, then turned around and walked onto the path alongside his teammates.

 _"Not yet."_


	2. Chapter 2 - Seeking Paradise (JNPR)

In this One-Shot taking place during Volume 3 Chapter 12, Pyrrha Nikos is defeated. However, out of this despair arises a new hope: Getting the ending she deserves.

 **Seeking Paradise**

* * *

As the embers sent stinging ripples around her body, Pyrrha was overcome by grief. The battle was lost. She had devoted herself to becoming a formidable fighter, yet now found herself defeated at the first major challenge. She had given her all in the hope that a stronger fighter could arrive and provide the assistance necessary to defeat Cinder. A small voice of hope suggested that her sacrifice may have bought enough time for a new challenger to appear shortly, facing a weakened and tired opponent. But nevertheless, she felt weighed down by the grim reality that she would stay waiting at this site of her defeat until death inevitably released her. That release would bring no reward, instead forcing her to leave her dearest friends behind without a chance of saying goodbye. There was nothing to do now but wait; nowhere to go.

 _Paradise._

This word materialised in the young Huntress' mind, invoking a strange spark. A powerful force was arising within her very soul, urging her to seek the origin of this mysterious word. There was a familiarity that she couldn't quite place; something that she had to search her memory for. _Had to_. As she embarked on this mental journey, she felt the weights of despair being lifted, and she lost all awareness of her dire situation, focussing completely on this alluring word.

 _I_ _ **must**_ _find out what this "paradise" means._

* * *

The sunlight shone brightly into the dorm room, basking it in a warm, inviting glow. The room was filled with the gentle sounds of a small orchestra, originating from a hastily-assembled speaker system on Jaune's bed. The windows had been left wide open to let in a crisp, cool autumn air that carried a peculiar calming smell. Jaune had initially hoped to use some scented candles instead, but had to improvise once he found out that Ren had sneakily used them all during his own private meditation exercises. Regardless, Pyrrha loved the alternative, as the smell of autumn held special value to her. Secretly, she hoped that Jaune chose it on purpose.

The four members of Team JNPR were sat in a circle in the centre of the room, with Pyrrha flanked by Nora and Ren and sitting directly opposite to Jaune. He seemed nervous but excited - a mood that Pyrrha had seen often, and found adorable.

"OK guys," he said, "There's a reason why I've set this all up."

"I hope so! I don't like sitting still for long" Nora exclaimed as she wiggled her crossed legs.

"It shouldn't take too long, if I do it right… Ren, I'm doing it right, _right_?"

Ren let out a sigh. "Like I told you before, it's all up to the person leading the exercise. You should start with a calming atmosphere, and then guide us from there."

Jaune nodded at this suggestion, and seemed to pause to recount exactly what he planned to say. Pyrrha saw him look over to her anxiously. She responded with a small grin, which she knew would reassure him. He breathed in and out heavily.

"OK, let's do this. The Tournament begins tomorrow, which is both exciting and terrifying. Over the past few days, I've noticed that you guys have all appeared to be on edge. We've all been having small moments of stress that can't be allowed to distract us during the Tournament."

He turned to Ren with a guilt look. "And again, sorry for shouting at you for using those candles." The always-calm Ren gave a thumbs-up, and beckoned him to continue.

"So, in light of this, I decided that we should do some sort of group meditation exercise to remove the stress and anxiety. I asked Ren for some tips on how to this, and did what I could to create a calming atmosphere. Now, I'm going to lead us through an exercise I planned, which is similar to some advice I got from one of my sisters a while ago. She's a professional dancer, and she said she always needs a way of getting rid of any anxiety before a performance."

Jaune sat up straight, his arms straightened and hands resting on his knees. He closed his eyes. "Do what I'm doing. This will ensure that you are completely focussed."

Pyrrha couldn't help but smile as she saw Nora sigh before reluctantly replicating the position. Ren was already in the stance. Pyrrha obliged, ensuring that her posture was exactly the same as Jaune's. She awaited his next words, breathing in and out through her nose and hearing the delicate sounds of classical music as she did so. The unique scent of autumn air passed through her lungs.

"I want you to imagine a place where you want to be at the end of all this. A place where everything is just right and where you feel happiest: loud or quiet; light or dark; warm or cold; ordered or chaotic; alone or accompanied. This is your paradise. It's not completely perfect. Some things might not be appealing to others; some things might appear to be out of place to others. But these imperfections make it perfect for you. They make that place your paradise - the place that you genuinely want to be in at the end.

Pyrrha was trying desperately to imagine her own paradise, straining her mind in the process, but the search was yielding no results. All her life, she had been focussed purely on the fight, never on what came afterwards. She simply never thought of where she wanted to be, only where she had to be.

"Remember this place that you've found. Treasure it. Whenever you feel overwhelmed or sad or defeated - whenever you feel like the whole world is against you - think about how much you want to be in that special place. At the end of all this, that will be your reward. So, don't be afraid or worried of what comes next, because at the end of the day you'll end up at this happy place."

Pyrrha's search for her "happy place" remained fruitless. _It's my fault. Jaune's instructions were fine. I just never thought about it_. She opened her eyes in frustration and examined her teammates to see if they too were struggling. On the contrary, Nora was humming in delight, bringing out a small smirk from Ren, who also seemed content with the exercise. Jaune too had an amused expression, suggesting that he had likewise managed to picture his own paradise.

"Alright, everyone open your eyes, and we'll all discuss what we saw."

A lump formed in her throat at this sentence. She feigned a grin when he opened his eyes, making his face light up in pride. Nora had a beaming smile and a noticeable air of determination around her. Ren had a very small smirk etched on his face. Pyrrha had grown to understand his timid displays of emotion, and this look in particular suggested he was incredibly impressed. The lump in her throat formed into a heavy stone that now weighed heavily on her heart, punishing her for not discovering her paradise like her teammates had.

"Alright, it looks like it worked. Good job guys. Who wants to go first?"

Nora's hand shot up. Her face scrunched up in determination. "I imagined a stormy, dark mountain infested with Grimm!"

Pyrrha exchanged nervous glances with Jaune. _That isn't peaceful at all. Perhaps she misheard_. She then saw Ren raise an eyebrow in surprise, but he seemed to have a knowing look.

"And my job would be to clear the Grimm out for the nearby village. I'd be able to harness the lightning to devastate the monsters. I'm full of energy, so I could wake up every day ready to defend the villagers without worrying about being energetic unnecessarily. "

Jaune breathed a sigh of relief. "So, this paradise of yours, it sounds like an important part of it is feeling needed, right?"

She nodded. "I've always had a nagging feeling that I'm not needed. Being in this Team and with Ren, that feeling has been kind of muted. But, the weak _need_ to be protected by stronger people. When Ren and I were orphaned, we needed the support of others to survive. I think it's my duty to return the favour."

For the first time today, sombreness permeated the air. Jaune acknowledged Nora's speech, and then turned his attention to Ren curiously. Pyrrha had also noted that he seemed distant; well, more distant than usual. His eyes were fixed firmly on the space between his crossed legs. Not for the first time, he needed to be brought out of his deep introspection.

"Ren?" Nora said this with an audible unease.

The sunlight began to disappear from the room, a light-grey shade taking its place. A grim smile spread across his face, which was still fixed downwards. "I imagined a wooden hut on a lake. There's stillness in the air that rests over the lake. It's a place where I can be quiet and contemplate things away from all the conflict in this world. I can find inner peace here."

Pyrrha was confused by this. "But you're already quite quiet, aren't you? You are peace personified."

Ren shrugged. "Perhaps externally." He finally glanced up at Nora. "When you talked about your paradise, you were thinking about our home village too. We both miss it."

Nora gasped and looked pensive. Pyrrha began to remember all that Ren and Nora had said about their past. They once lived in a village close to some large mountains. In their younger years, Nora would drag Ren on hiking trips up these mountains, partly for exploration and partly for adventure. On one of their trips, they found a small lake not too far from the mountains, where Ren enjoyed meditating in complete silence - much to Nora's annoyance. She was deeply touched by the fact that Ren and Nora had such fond memories, but secretly wished that she too had treasured places from her own childhood. Jaune cleared his throat before speaking up.

"Th-thanks you two. It sounds like you both treasure your home. And I've got something to say about homes. When I was growing up, my sisters would watch loads of shows and I'd watch with them. On one of them, a guy was talking about the difference between homes and houses, in an attempt to comfort someone that might miss their home. He said: _"Houses come and go, but a home is where you make your life. You can sell your houses, but a home is where people love you."_ Don't forget that, especially the last part."

Ren and Nora responded with warm smiles. Jaune continued, "Funnily enough, that kinda feeds into what I picture as paradise. At the end of all this, I imagine a big celebration party with family and friends."

Pyrrha beamed and couldn't help but make a teasing remark. "A _dance_ party?"

They all laughed heartily, making Jaune's face flush slightly with red. "Alright, that's partly why," flashing a smirk back that made Pyrrha's heart skip a beat. "The other - equally important - reason why that is my paradise is that everything important in life would be gathered there. Y'know, we concentrate so much on trying to make ourselves stronger that it's easy to forget what made us strong in the first place: The people that love us. I can't imagine a greater reward than having you guys along with all my friends and family gathered together, having a good time… Pyrrha, are you ok?"

Everything that had been said - by Ren, Nora and Jaune - had accumulated into a surging wave of emotion that consumed her. She had her hands on her face, her tears trickling down from her arms. She did not know why she felt so anguished, and all she could do was attempt to hide her sadness from her dear friends. She felt a sudden shot of warmth that suggested the sunlight had returned, but it could not evaporate her tears, which seemed unrelenting. Strangely, the warmth spread across her front and around her sides onto her back, as if enveloping her in a comforting embrace. She was able to cease the flow of tears long enough to peer between the gaps in her fingers, and could just make about see sections of Jaune's armour.

Her heart stopped completely and she wondered if this was a dream. No, Jaune genuinely was holding her, carefully nestling her head on his shoulder and caressing her hair. Her crying halted at once. She didn't dare to make a single move, eager to not do anything that would disturb this perfect moment.

"I'm here for you, Pyrrha. Always. And we need you to be here for us too."

 _This is my paradise. It's not a childhood memory. It's not something that I wish to happen in the future. It's here, now. My paradise is with these three friends. Sure, Ren may not be the most talkative person; Nora may not be the most relaxed person; and Jaune may not be the most perceptive person. But they are the people I treasure the most. They make me feel needed, peaceful and loved._ _What better things can this world offer?_

She smiled ear-to-ear, and moved her hands to embrace Jaune too. Soon enough, Nora and Ren – somewhat timidly - flung their arms around the Pyrrha and Jaune. Pyrrha was flushed with warmth from her heart throughout her body as she felt her very soul cry out in delight.

 _This is my paradise; my happy ending. This is my reward, and I will stay here. I will stay and enjoy this time together with my closest friends. I will laugh and joke and smile. I will treasure this moment forever. I will treasure these friendships that will last a lifetime forever. This is my paradise… in Jaune's arms!_


	3. Chapter 3 - Fight or Flight (Sun, Blake)

_In this One-Shot taking place during Volume 3 Chapter 12, Sun Wukong pays a welcome visit to his friend Blake, who has begun a vigil at Yang's bedside. Sun enters with the intention of helping Blake, but he soon finds that she has conflicting ideas._

 **Fight or Flight**

* * *

Sun stood at the door, trembling as he did so. He adjusted his grip on the little tray in his hands - the last thing he needed was to make a mess. There was a quick glance downwards to check that he didn't look scruffy, before breathing in and out deeply. With all final checks completed, he anxiously pushed open the door and shuffled through.

There she was. Blake sat at the other end of the room with the same blank expression on her face, and in exactly the same position as when he last saw her just before dawn. She sat slightly hunched forwards with her two hands cupping Yang's. His heart dropped. Yang laid still on the white hospital bed between him and Blake, seemingly in a state of complete peace. Unfortunately, Sun couldn't prevent his gaze from falling on the part of the bed where Yang's right arm should have been. Instead, there was just an empty space. It was a sickening sight.

"Hi."

The gentle greeting brought him back from the dark thoughts. He shook himself out of the trance, and averted his eyes towards the black-haired girl. Blake sat up straight and offered a warm smile, as if she too had escaped from the depressive state. Previously, whenever he saw this smile he would feel that his day had just gotten better. But, his time spent with Blake beforehand had given him the chance to understand how she hid behind these outward displays. He could see the trauma in her face - not surprising given the fact that they had been evacuated from Beacon the night before. And, he also sensed that there was something else in her expression; a more secretive thought that she did well to conceal from him.

He returned a little smirk and walked towards her, before setting down the small tray at the foot of the bed. He nervously looked for her reaction to the surprise he had brought her: a large mug of freshly-brewed tea (extra milky, of course) and a handful of fruit. With some delight, he saw her face light up a little.

"You really didn't have to," she said, blushing.

"Well, erm, I thought it would help you out a bit", he mumbled.

"You… you didn't steal any of this, right?"

"No no no, I didn't." He noticed her shoot a quizzical look. "I promise."

She nodded and reached for the mug. Sun held his breath, hoping that the tea would spark his friend back into life. She took a long sip, smiled, and said a quiet "thanks". Now that Sun was closer, he could see the toll that had been taken on her. Her eyes and nose were red, meaning that she had been crying a lot. Small black bags had formed under her eyelids - a sign that she didn't get much sleep at all. These things weren't surprising to him given the circumstances, but it still cut deep for him to see Blake like this. Thankfully, her pale complexion did appear to be replaced with a warmer glow, indicating that the tea was having the desired effect. He gave himself an imaginary pat on the back.

"Is the cut healing?"

"Yes, a doctor did another check-up just before you came in. The stitches are strong and the treatment is working, so I'll be up and running soon."

"Good, good. And how are you holding up?"

Blake put the mug down and sighed. The blank expression that she wore before he entered the room returned once more. She took a while to gather her thoughts.

"I'm… It's just a lot to take in, y'know?"

"Yeah, I can't believe we got out of Beacon last night. It's crazy thinking that we were fighting for our lives only a few hours ago. Did you sleep well?"

"I tried. It was a long night for me. It's just… there were so many thoughts swirling around my head that I couldn't rest."

"What sort of thoughts?" Sun was concerned. He sat down on the bed so that he was directly in front of her.

"It's nothing, really".

He leaned a bit closer, and offered her a reassuring smile. "Please. If you don't want to talk about it, I'll forget about it. But, I want to be there for you. Let me."

She sighed. "OK. Well, I can't shake this feeling that it's all my fault, because I know it's true."

"Woah," Sun interjected. "You're wrong. None of us had any idea that this would happen, and there's no way it's your fault; Not for Pyrrha, not for that robot girl."

"No, I'm right. So many people got hurt because of me."

She pointed at Yang's bandaged stump, and her voice began to quiver.

" **That** … is because of me. Someone wanted to hurt me, and he did that by hurting Yang. If I wasn't at Beacon, he wouldn't have been there either. And if he wasn't there, neither would the White Fang."

"Was it that guy from the docks that got arrested? Roman?"

"No. His name is Adam. It's someone I know from the White Fang. He became a leader around the time that I ran from it. He's a monster now, and he wants to hurt me. I know for sure that's why the White Fang joined the attack on Beacon."

Sun leaned back, exhaling deeply; this wasn't what we expected at all.

"Well, the White Fang disappeared during the battle and haven't been seen since. And the level of security here is insane; I've never seen so many Huntsmen and Huntresses in one place before. And you've got me here along with my team. We don't know when we'll be taken back to Mistral, but we can lay low here if you need us. You're safe from him here, I promise."

Her bow twitched, and she shook her head once more before averting her gaze downwards.

"That's not what I meant. He wants to hurt me, and he's going to do that by hurting everyone I care about. Yang was just the start. We can't stay at this hospital forever; at some point we won't have the protection that we do now, and that's when he'll strike. I've got to do something."

"You don't have to do any-"

"Yes I do." She snapped back. "I'm the only one that can prevent it. I can make sure that you, Yang, Weiss, Ruby, Jaune, and all the others don't get caught in the crossfire."

She met his gaze with a look of ferocity, her nostrils flared and her mouth curled into a snarl. The sight intimidated him a little.

"What's your plan?"

"I was up all night thinking about it, picking it apart and putting it back together again. I've thought long and hard about what I should do." She gulped. "I've got to leave here as soon as possible, and-"

"You're kidding me!" He stared at her wide-eyed. "I can't believe you're saying this! It hasn't even been a day since the attack and you want to run away?!"

"I'm **NOT** running away!"

She leapt up as she said this, firing a furious glare at him. The outburst made him jump. She had never raised her voice at him, not once. And he had never seen this side of her. She noticed his reaction, and raised her hands to her mouth in shock. She breathed in and out deeply, and then slowly took her seat cautiously, as if she too feared what she would do next.

"Well, I am. But it's different this time."

She moved in closer to him, and reached out to clasp his hands in hers. Sun could feel his palms beginning to sweat at this contact. He could feel her grip tighten, as if she was trying to draw strength from him through the connection. He waited intently for her next words, with both excitement and fear.

"On the day that we first met, I ran away from my friends. I ran away because a problem came up, and the only way I knew how to deal with it - how I've always dealt with big issues - was to run. Run, run, never looking back: not at my friends and not at the problem that drove me away in the first place. And soon, I will be running away again."

A lump formed in Sun's throat. She tightened her grip again.

"Except this time, I won't be running away from the problem; I'm running straight at it. I'll look for clues about Adam's whereabouts in Vale and at Beacon, and once I know where he is I'll confront him myself and put an end to all this."

Fear finally took hold as Sun shot upwards, ripping his hands from her grasp. The tray shook violently, making some tea spill out of the mug.

"What?! You're insane! You're in no shape to go after anyone, never mind the guy that did that to Yang."

"Worse will happen if I don't confront him. He's out there, waiting to strike again. I can't let that happen!"

"But you-"

"I have to!"

Her face was unchanged; she wasn't even blinking. Their eyes were locked in an intense duel that only stopped when he yielded. He took a step back and turned away, ruffling his hair whilst his mind became cluttered with thousands of thoughts. He knew that he couldn't convince her to stay - he couldn't even look her in the eyes - so he searched for anything that would fix his own fears. Finally, he came across something optimistic.

"Well, let me come with you."

"What?"

"Let me come with you. You'll stand a better chance with me by your side. I'll even bring the guys along. My team doesn't need to go back to Mistral anytime soon. That makes it five against one. We can take him down that way, altogether."

He had been overcome by a sense of excitement, but that swiftly dissipated at the shake of her head.

"It's too dangerous."

"What do you mean? It's more dangerous if you fight him alone!"

"Yes, but at least no one else gets caught in the crossfire. You didn't understand when I told you before: I'm pursuing Adam because I don't want to get anyone else hurt. This is between him and I, and it needs to stay that way."

"No it doesn't! I… I mean you… it… just no!"

He flung his arms to the ground wildly. He was breathing heavily, and he sealed up his mouth to stop his bottom lip from wobbling. Everything in the room apart from him seemed to freeze; Blake sat looking up at him wide-eyed. However, she suddenly rushed around the bed and threw her arms around him in an embrace, burying her head in his chest like a scared child seeking comfort. In an instant, all of his rage vanished. His fists unclenched and he held her. He was still shaking, but her still demeanour steadily calmed him down. He felt at peace.

After a short while, Blake's soft voice disturbed the tranquillity.

"You know that I have to do this alone."

He responded with a deep sigh.

"I need to run away and fight him so that he doesn't get to hurt anyone else."

Her words, though said softly, punched him in his chest like bullets. And he was paralysed; the tight embrace and stillness made it impossible for him to dodge them. The only things that he could do were taking the pain and offering only a weak response.

"I know."

"I'll be okay, I swear."

The trembling returned, and his voice became shaky.

"And what am I supposed to do?"

She took a while to respond, making his trembling intensify a little more.

"You need to make sure that no-one tries to get involved in the fight. Not Weiss, not Ruby-"

"What about Yang? She'll want to fight him as much as you do when she wakes up."

Another long, drawn-out silence set in. Sun felt the bow twitch underneath his chin as she thought. He felt her grip loosen slightly.

"Just tell her that I ran away. Tell her I ran away as soon as we got to Vale. She won't want to find me if she thinks that I abandoned her without checking that she was recovering."

"That's going to hurt her."

"I have to."

The pause that followed gave Sun the chance to gather himself. In the midst of all this drama his eyes had begun watering. Noticing this, he rubbed his eyes discreetly, not wanting to upset the girl in his arms. Reluctantly, he asked the question that plagued his mind.

"Are you going to set off now?"

"No, I want to sit with Yang a little longer before I go. Can you stay with me for a while?"

"Sure. I'll be here."

* * *

 **Notes:**

First of all, thanks for taking the time to read this Chapter. It's been a long time since I last updated this (Sorry!). I've been busy preparing for exams, and I've also been chopping and changing a few of my One-Shot ideas. This Chapter in particular has undergone a lot of changes from my initial idea.

Ever since the V3 Finale came out, I've wanted to write a story that doesn't paint Blake as a coward. When I saw the episode, I didn't think that she would just run away like that out of habit, especially since Yang was in such a bad state. When the episode showed her running around Beacon, it further reinforced my idea that she was pursuing Adam since she was looking around the last place she saw him. For me, it makes more sense that she left to confront Adam before he gets to harm another of her friends.

In terms of writing this, I originally planned on having Blake leave at the end, but I struggled to write it that way. By having it end with Sun and Blake embracing for the last time in a while, I thought that it was more poignant. It also allowed me to end on the conflicting attitudes between Blake and Sun. While Sun wants to help by being there for Blake, she thinks the only way she can help the situation is by going elsewhere - a nice little juxtaposition. And, for an Eclipse shipper like myself (although I do like Bumblebee too) it feels like a nicer ending.

Thanks again for reading this, and I'd be happy to talk with you about your thoughts on this version of events and my writing in general. I'll try to update this with another Chapter before the end of the month, and from then on I think updates will come semi-monthly (1 or 2 a month).


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